Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel in a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart in Islamabad on Wednesday described beliefs of the Islamic Ummah (nation) as the main element underlying the strong relations between Iran and Pakistan.

 The South Asian regional grouping SAARC approved observer status for Iran alongside the United States and the European Union, an Indian minister said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here on Wednesday issued the required orders for the release of the 15 British troops arrested on March 23rd after trespassing on Iran’s territorial waters.